Derek Parham
@derekparham.bsky.social
Journalist - WKU Public Radio
Local host - All Things Considered @npr.org
Tree hugger and friend to all critters
Local host - All Things Considered @npr.org
Tree hugger and friend to all critters
Reposted by Derek Parham
Refugee agencies in Kentucky prepare for less job and food benefits in 2026, as the Trump administration implements new restrictions and prioritizes entry application approvals for white South Africans. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Refugee agencies in Ky prepare for less job and food benefits in '26
President Donald Trump has implemented new restrictions to refugee employment opportunities and food assistance while prioritizing entry application approvals for white South Africans.
www.wkyufm.org
December 23, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Refugee agencies in Kentucky prepare for less job and food benefits in 2026, as the Trump administration implements new restrictions and prioritizes entry application approvals for white South Africans. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
Kentucky wetlands, streams, and drinking water at risk under proposed changes to Clean Water Act. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU: #kyga26
Kentucky wetlands, streams, and drinking water at risk under proposed changes to Clean Water Act
The EPA is moving to narrow the definitions of protected waterways under the Clean Water Act, opening many waterways to pollution and destruction.
www.wkyufm.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Kentucky wetlands, streams, and drinking water at risk under proposed changes to Clean Water Act. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU: #kyga26
Reposted by Derek Parham
I think my updates are done for tonight from the UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville that has killed at least 3 and likely more. Here's our current story, which is likely to change by the morning once more official information comes out.
Multiple dead and injured in UPS plane crash near Louisville airport
Beshear says the UPS plane was bound for Hawaii and contained 220,000 pounds of jet fuel. A shelter in place remains in effect for parts of Louisville.
www.lpm.org
November 5, 2025 at 2:56 AM
I think my updates are done for tonight from the UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville that has killed at least 3 and likely more. Here's our current story, which is likely to change by the morning once more official information comes out.
Reposted by Derek Parham
A team of researchers with the University of Kentucky is contributing to a nationwide effort to understand a fungal disease impacting native snake species. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Kentucky herpetologists scouring the state for signs of snake fungal disease
Researchers at the University of Kentucky are searching for signs of a fungal disease impacting the state's native snakes.
www.wkyufm.org
October 24, 2025 at 6:06 PM
A team of researchers with the University of Kentucky is contributing to a nationwide effort to understand a fungal disease impacting native snake species. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
See photos from “No Kings” protestors around the state from @kentuckypublicradio.org reporters.
www.lpm.org/no-kings-pro...
www.lpm.org/no-kings-pro...
"No Kings" protest photos from around Kentucky
On Oct. 18, 2025, Kentuckians took to the streets to protest the Trump administration's actions in a day of national "No Kings" protests. Reporters from Kentucky Public Radio took these photos.
www.lpm.org
October 18, 2025 at 11:10 PM
See photos from “No Kings” protestors around the state from @kentuckypublicradio.org reporters.
www.lpm.org/no-kings-pro...
www.lpm.org/no-kings-pro...
Reposted by Derek Parham
A growing coalition of conservation and advocacy groups across the country are working to shift the narrative surrounding beavers. A group at Bernheim Forest want to show the long-term benefits of coexisting with the animals rather than relocating them. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Who are you calling a nuisance? Conservationists work with, not against, nature’s greatest engineers
Teams like Bernheim Forest and Arboretum's Beaver Brigade are working with landowners and policymakers to shift the narrative surrounding beavers.
www.wkyufm.org
October 17, 2025 at 6:36 PM
A growing coalition of conservation and advocacy groups across the country are working to shift the narrative surrounding beavers. A group at Bernheim Forest want to show the long-term benefits of coexisting with the animals rather than relocating them. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
Reposted by Derek Parham
Just incredible stuff in here.
October 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Just incredible stuff in here.
Reposted by Derek Parham
White House fires federal special education staff, but the impact across Kentucky remains unclear for now. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU: #kyga26
White House fires federal special education staff, but the impact across Kentucky remains unclear
President Trump ordered sweeping layoffs amid a federal government shutdown, firing dozens of special education office employees.
www.wkyufm.org
October 16, 2025 at 1:07 PM
White House fires federal special education staff, but the impact across Kentucky remains unclear for now. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU: #kyga26
Reposted by Derek Parham
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman pushing for EPA to repeal federal carbon emission regulations. From WKU:
Kentucky Attorney General pushing for EPA to repeal federal carbon emission regulations
In an 88-page letter to the EPA, Attorney General Russell Coleman is encouraging the agency to move forward with a proposal to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding.
www.wkyufm.org
October 7, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman pushing for EPA to repeal federal carbon emission regulations. From WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
Local tourism offices greet Mammoth Cave National Park visitors amid government shutdown. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Local tourism offices greet Mammoth Cave National Park visitors amid government shutdown
While the visitor center at Mammoth Cave National Park is closed during the federal government shutdown, tourism offices from the nearby region are helping visitors make the most of their south-centra...
www.wkyufm.org
October 8, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Local tourism offices greet Mammoth Cave National Park visitors amid government shutdown. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
After searching through court and state records, a pattern is clear. Kentucky swiftly stepped up SNAP disqualifications in 2016 and a review of several cases from 2020 onward shows a heavily reliance on suspicious shopping patterns to accuse people of selling benefits
apnews.com/article/food...
apnews.com/article/food...
Kentucky has kicked people off food benefits using data that doesn’t tell the full story
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services has brought hundreds of fraud cases in the last five years that are heavily reliant on transactional data with the goal of revoking people’s federal...
apnews.com
September 30, 2025 at 12:22 PM
After searching through court and state records, a pattern is clear. Kentucky swiftly stepped up SNAP disqualifications in 2016 and a review of several cases from 2020 onward shows a heavily reliance on suspicious shopping patterns to accuse people of selling benefits
apnews.com/article/food...
apnews.com/article/food...
For too long, addiction and mental health crises have been treated as criminal rather than healthcare issues. There’s a growing movement to change that mindset, and through real change like this, it’s gaining momentum.
Check it out 👇🏽
Check it out 👇🏽
Community leaders welcome the Anchor Project, a regional response to addiction and mental health crises
Leaders broke ground Monday on the Anchor Project, a new approach to substance abuse and mental health crises.
www.wkyufm.org
September 24, 2025 at 1:43 AM
For too long, addiction and mental health crises have been treated as criminal rather than healthcare issues. There’s a growing movement to change that mindset, and through real change like this, it’s gaining momentum.
Check it out 👇🏽
Check it out 👇🏽
What started as a preview for the Out of the Darkness Walk this weekend quickly turned into an unexpected, and candid, conversation on grief, suicide, and coming to terms with the fact that the world is a better place with you in it.
Hear that conversation and read more about the walk below 👇🏽
Hear that conversation and read more about the walk below 👇🏽
'First time I felt validated': annual walk benefiting suicide prevention planned in Bowling Green
Hundreds of Out of the Darkness Walks are planned across the country as part of Suicide Prevention Week, including a walk in Bowling Green.
www.wkyufm.org
September 11, 2025 at 8:51 PM
What started as a preview for the Out of the Darkness Walk this weekend quickly turned into an unexpected, and candid, conversation on grief, suicide, and coming to terms with the fact that the world is a better place with you in it.
Hear that conversation and read more about the walk below 👇🏽
Hear that conversation and read more about the walk below 👇🏽
Reposted by Derek Parham
My latest 👇
LG&E/KU is proposing a mechanism to make new data centers pay their fair share for $3 billion of new power plants, but environmental and consumer advocates say there still aren't enough protections for current Kentucky ratepayers.
LG&E says $3B expansion will protect Kentucky ratepayers from data center costs, others are doubtful
Kentucky’s largest utility company is proposing a mechanism to make new data centers pay their fair share, but first wants approval to build $3 billion of new gas plants.
www.lpm.org
August 28, 2025 at 12:42 PM
My latest 👇
Reposted by Derek Parham
Tick-borne meat allergies on the rise in Kentucky and impacting a wildlife rehab in Bowling Green. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Tick-borne meat allergies on the rise in Kentucky and impacting a wildlife rehab in Bowling Green
An estimated 400,000 people have been impacted by Alpha-Gal syndrome across the U.S.
www.wkyufm.org
August 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Tick-borne meat allergies on the rise in Kentucky and impacting a wildlife rehab in Bowling Green. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
In Bowling Green, the Fugees Freedom Fund was created to help cover the expenses of children who have been detained by ICE and are caught in a legal battle to be released.
@derekparham.bsky.social
www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...
@derekparham.bsky.social
www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...
Bowling Green-based nonprofit collecting funds for children detained by ICE
The Fugees Freedom Fund was created to help cover the expenses of children who have been detained by ICE and are caught in a legal battle to be released.
www.lpm.org
August 19, 2025 at 12:47 PM
In Bowling Green, the Fugees Freedom Fund was created to help cover the expenses of children who have been detained by ICE and are caught in a legal battle to be released.
@derekparham.bsky.social
www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...
@derekparham.bsky.social
www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...
Back to school season looks very different for some families - with ICE agents waiting outside schools to detain parents and children.
Fugees Family is collecting funds to help free children that have been illegally detained and taken to facilities far from home.
Fugees Family is collecting funds to help free children that have been illegally detained and taken to facilities far from home.
Bowling Green-based nonprofit collecting funds for children detained by ICE
The Fugees Freedom Fund was created to help cover the expenses of children who have been detained by ICE and are caught in a legal battle to be released.
www.wkyufm.org
August 15, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Back to school season looks very different for some families - with ICE agents waiting outside schools to detain parents and children.
Fugees Family is collecting funds to help free children that have been illegally detained and taken to facilities far from home.
Fugees Family is collecting funds to help free children that have been illegally detained and taken to facilities far from home.
Reposted by Derek Parham
A protected wildlife corridor at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum has been cleared to make way for LG&E's Bullitt County natural gas pipeline. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Forest cleared for long-embattled pipeline through Bernheim Forest wildlife corridor
A protected wildlife corridor at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum has been cleared to make way for LG&E's Bullitt County natural gas pipeline.
www.wkyufm.org
August 8, 2025 at 4:13 PM
A protected wildlife corridor at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum has been cleared to make way for LG&E's Bullitt County natural gas pipeline. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
The Trump administration has cut staff by more than 24% at the National Park Service since January, and the GOP Congress is proposing another round of cuts. WKU looked into how these cuts are affecting Mammoth Cave National Park:
‘They’re not allowed to speak to us’ National parks clam up amid Trump staffing cuts
The Trump administration has cut staff by more than 24% at the National Park Service since January. Republicans in Congress are now proposing another round of cuts as part of a budget bill.
www.wkyufm.org
August 7, 2025 at 5:53 PM
The Trump administration has cut staff by more than 24% at the National Park Service since January, and the GOP Congress is proposing another round of cuts. WKU looked into how these cuts are affecting Mammoth Cave National Park:
Visitors at the park probably won’t notice the loss of park employees at first - and that’s by design.
The cuts largely affect important behind the scenes work, like maintenance, scientific research, and emergency response.
More below 👇🏽
The cuts largely affect important behind the scenes work, like maintenance, scientific research, and emergency response.
More below 👇🏽
‘They’re not allowed to speak to us’ National parks clam up amid Trump staffing cuts
The Trump administration has cut staff by more than 24% at the National Park Service since January. Republicans in Congress are now proposing another round of cuts as part of a budget bill.
www.wkyufm.org
August 7, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Visitors at the park probably won’t notice the loss of park employees at first - and that’s by design.
The cuts largely affect important behind the scenes work, like maintenance, scientific research, and emergency response.
More below 👇🏽
The cuts largely affect important behind the scenes work, like maintenance, scientific research, and emergency response.
More below 👇🏽
Reposted by Derek Parham
The Warren County Fiscal Court has formally approved the purchase of a building near the Bowling Green-Warren County regional airport to serve as a new emergency operations center for the region. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Warren County emergency management approved for regional operations center at airport
The Warren County fiscal court approved a nearly $2 million purchase for a permanent regional emergency operations center.
www.wkyufm.org
July 11, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The Warren County Fiscal Court has formally approved the purchase of a building near the Bowling Green-Warren County regional airport to serve as a new emergency operations center for the region. From @derekparham.bsky.social at WKU:
Reposted by Derek Parham
'How am I going to afford to make the rent?': Bowling Green group helping families find housing. From @derekparham.bsky.social of WKU:
'How am I going to afford to make the rent?': Bowling Green group helping families find housing
Across Kentucky, more than 96,000 affordable housing units are needed to meet growing national demand. A family in Bowling Green is making progress in that struggle.
www.wkyufm.org
July 2, 2025 at 1:45 PM
'How am I going to afford to make the rent?': Bowling Green group helping families find housing. From @derekparham.bsky.social of WKU:
“The truth is that I overheard Joey Lawson and Steve Lawson talking about moving the body on the Houck farm with a skid steer.”
More details on day four of the Crystal Rogers trial.
More details on day four of the Crystal Rogers trial.
Witness testifies on Lawson plot to get rid of Crystal Rogers' body
New testimony and digital forensic evidence was introduced during day four of the Crystal Rogers trial.
www.wkyufm.org
June 28, 2025 at 12:28 AM
“The truth is that I overheard Joey Lawson and Steve Lawson talking about moving the body on the Houck farm with a skid steer.”
More details on day four of the Crystal Rogers trial.
More details on day four of the Crystal Rogers trial.